‘Rick and Morty’ Live Stream Event: Live Recap & Review

rick and morty live stream recap

Adult Swim Rick and Morty live stream event live recap.

Tonight is the mysterious Rick and Morty live stream event that fans have been talking non-stop about. Adult Swim advised in a press release to “not be late” to the event, so everyone is hoping something big is going to happen: perhaps a premiere of Season 3 Episode 2, or a trailer with scenes from Season 3, or at least a premiere date. We will be updating this post with a recap of the event live as it airs. So keep coming back for more details about what happens tonight.

To give you some background first: AdultSwim.com is livestreaming an event in LA featuring Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland, starting at 9 p.m. Eastern. Nothing much has been said about what is going to happen, except a tweet from storyboarder Erica Hayes nothing that she will be “doing the drawings” during the event.

Now the mystery is finally going to be solved.

Right before the live stream event started, the Season 3 Episode 1 premiere aired on the livestream marathon.

Next, fans watched a Rick and Morty Live screenshot, while the theme music plays on repeat.

Next the live stream had an interview with Erica Hayes. She briefly talked about herself and her background, while Justin Roiland interviewed her via VR. Then he drove a car around and hit some cones. Finally, the event is starting.

It looks like this event will be a panel discussion. Erica Hayes will be doing live drawings while Roiland and Harmon talk and Brandon Johnson asks questions.

First, Roiland and Harmon talked sarcastically about how they “suffer” while working together, referencing the rumors circulating that they were fighting.

Then they joked about the rumors that the episode was canceled.

When asked how many episodes would be in Season 3, they said there would be 10 episodes in Season 3. Before that, they joked about whether the question was about season 3 or season 4. Some fans got excited and thought this was confirmation of season 4, but it was not. Right after saying that, they commented that their agents wouldn’t be happy that they said that, and they said something about renegotiating their contracts.

Next they talked about why it takes so long to make the episodes for the show.

(During this live event, Harmon is typing a script for Rick and Morty live.)

Unfortunately, episode 2 will not be airing tonight during the live stream, Roiland and Harmon said.

They did make one big announcement. Season 3 Episode 2 will premiere Sunday, July 30.

After the event, Roiland and Harmon began talking back and forth, sometimes in character, asking parody questions.

Then they decided to show a Season 3 trailer! Here it is below: 

Roiland and Harmon joked after the trailer that they were going to use the rest of the live show to come up with ways to be more efficient while making episodes.

Harmon and Roiland shared more stories with fans about what it’s like to work for Rick and Morty, and what fans say to them when they see them. The whole time they’re talking, Harmon is typing a screenplay, but he said it wasn’t very good or exciting. And Roiland’s story wasn’t great.

“You’re sitting here wondering why you’re doing this if you’re not going to see a free episode,” Harmon commented, noting that he thinks neither he nor Roiland are talented alone. “We define each other,” he said.

Here are excerpts from the script Harmon typed during the event.

Morty hands Rick biscuits arranged on multiple plates, nervous about biscuit selection. “You keep yelling at me,” Morty said. Rick: “The indecision inhibitor I implanted in your cortex is supposed to be cutting down on the time it takes for you to do anything.”

Beth is there, and then Gene appears in the window. A drone assembled itself and climbs over to Gene and makes him change his attitude. Gene walks away.

Beth suggests taking Morty to space college. Summer then shows her clothes. “She’s defined by pettiness,” the script says.

Rick: “Beth you’re right. We should take Morty to space school.”

And then they head out. Morty is sad he is missing regular school.

At space school, Morty falls out onto a playground. “Sorry Morty, you wait there, I just need to park,” Rick said. He parks and goes back to Morty.

“I think I landed on my tailbone,” Morty says.

“Easy doc,” Rick says.

And that was the script.

Harmon said the script wasn’t very good, but Roiland thought it was OK. Harmon told Roiland that he thought he should rely more on Roiland for inspiration on scripts. Harmon also said that because he’s self-loathing, he’s very critical of his own work. “You think if you hate yourself, you’re better… But what you’re saying is that if anyone says you’re good, they’re a liar…”

Harmon then shared that his weaker points are that he’s not visually imaginative. He and Roiland continued talking back and forth, entertaining the audience. They talked about meeting a new character that Hayes was drawing — a quadric story where Rick and Morty have to fight the guy.

So they decided to do another impromptu script, this time with Roiland suggesting ideas and doing voices of the characters, while Harmon wrote a script based on what Roiland was saying.

Members of the audience were called upon to make up the name of the new enemy. One suggested “The Covfefians.” Then they asked someone in the audience to come up with what the Covfefians are based on (like Vulcans are all about logic and Klingons are all about honor.) What is the Covfefians’ core attribute? The audience member suggested stammering a lot.

So they moved on to another audience member. One woman suggested, “He’s a people pleaser.”

Next they asked an audience member to pick any body part that’s important to the species, so Hayes can draw them. “They’re obsessed with their pectoral muscles,” one person suggested.

Harmon said, “Now in a friendship between two humans… Who is willing to volunteer enough information about a fight you’ve had with a friend…Give us the very 15-second story about the reason you had a fight with somebody.”

One person shares about how a friend invited themselves over to be a long-term houseguest, but no one had actually invited her. This will be incorporated into the Covfefe character too.

So the impromptu episode is going to be about Rick meeting Covfefian people pleasers. (Note: Profanity has been removed.)

The “episode” starts with Rick talking about working really hard while Morty just watches, and Rick’s mad about that and telling Morty off.

Summer enters. “You guys aren’t supposed to be here. Mom and Dad, who are divorced, that much is clear from Episode 1 said that I could have a party… Why are you still here?”

Rick: “We’re here because we live here.”

So they talk back and forth about how unfair Rick is and how Summer just wanted one night of fun. Hayes is drawing each scene as they voice their ideas and Harmon types what they’re saying.

(This impromptu script is happening pretty slowly. Roiland notes that this is what he wanted people to see — the process and how what they come up with at first isn’t always great.)

They continue the script…

Rick tells Summer to chill, they’re only sticking around because of his friend, someone from the Covfefian species. “They’re obsessed with the indigenous people liking them…”

Rick says that Summer is staying while they go to Seattle. (At this point, the live stream is kind of going off the rails. It looks like they won’t be releasing any additional news about Season 3, but just entertain the audience with fun stories and impromptu scripts. We do hope that Covfefian aliens make it into Season 3!)

At the end, they addressed why they don’t always bring characters back even if they’re popular. They try to only bring characters back if they have a really good reason, Roiland said.

They were asked in the end about season 4, and they said they don’t know. They’re in the process of negotiating, they confirmed.